


1004

by PhantomFlutist



Series: Neo Soulmates AU [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Soft Boys, Winter, all the winter feels, no really that's it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 10:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16871689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomFlutist/pseuds/PhantomFlutist
Summary: With winter taking the city by force, Hakyeon was grateful to be on more solid ground than he had been the year before. And he was looking forward to having Taekwoon around more.Living together would either work out perfectly or be a perfect disaster.





	1004

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hey friends! Long time no see! I have been away because of reasons, but I am working on returning to fandom and writing. I have been feeling the winter vibes something fierce lately, so I got you this little ditty feat. soft winter boys.
> 
> Title credit goes to baby sister R - also thanks to her this fic theoretically doesn't have any typos. If there are any remaining it's probably my fault.

 

It had been a long time since Hakyeon could enjoy cold weather instead of worrying about making utility payments so the heat would stay on and ensuring he had enough holeless socks to prevent him from losing a toe while he waited for the bus in below-freezing temperatures.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday had just passed, and it was the first time in years that Hakyeon hadn’t volunteered to work the holiday for the extra pay and suffered through the raving crowds determined to throw their money at whatever discounted laptop they could get their hands on.

Instead, he could walk into the locally-owned coffee shop on Main Street in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday, shake errant snowflakes out of his hair, walk up to the counter to order a latte and a scone, and pay for it without worrying about the price too much.

He took a seat with his scone, shrugging out of his coat while he waited for them to make his coffee. He’d picked a table in the raised area by the wide bay window, so he could watch the flurries of snow dance in the wind and admire the lights and garlands that decorated the whole Historic District.

It was cold but not frigid just yet, the perfect weather for the very end of November. Hakyeon could already feel the holiday spirit building. It wasn’t just him; around town people seemed to be smiling more despite cold-pinked cheeks, more prone to kind words than to angry ones – or maybe that was just because he wasn’t working retail anymore.

His job at the museum was great. He spent his days working with people who  _ wanted  _ to be doing what they were doing, and educating people was  _ awesome. _ It was a bit of a commute from his apartment, but worth every minute of it for the pay and the benefits and the sheer joy of actually doing what he loved.

And hey, maybe soon he wouldn’t be living quite so far away.

The shop’s door opened, letting in a gust of freezing air, and a few people sitting too close to it shivered and hunched into themselves. Half a second later, the barista called out Hakyeon’s order, and he looked up just in time to realize that the person who had just come in wasn’t a stranger.

“Taekwoon?” he asked, changing course away from the café counter and going towards the door instead. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t back in town until Tuesday?”

Taekwoon grinned and leaned in to kiss him as soon as he got close enough, lacing his arms around Hakyeon’s waist. “Got done early. Wanted to surprise you.”

Hakyeon huffed, shrinking away when Taekwoon tried to tuck his cold nose into his neck. “How did you know I was here?”

“Hongbin,” Taekwoon said, shrugging.

Hakyeon laughed. “That figures,” he muttered. 

After another moment basking in the presence of his soulmate, he let Taekwoon go and they both wandered towards the counter – Hakyeon to pick up his neglected drink, and Taekwoon to order his own. They got settled in at the table Hakyeon had claimed, and he wrapped his fingers tight around his cardboard cup.

Taekwoon was hiding a tiny smile behind the rim of his own cup, his eyebrows jumping in a familiar, mischievous way.

“Okay,” Hakyeon said, raising an eyebrow of his own. “Out with it.”

Taekwoon sighed heavily, set his cup down, and then finally said, “They’re finalizing the sale early. We can move in on Monday.”

Hakyeon’s sharp intake of breath was entirely involuntary. “For real?” he asked.

Taekwoon nodded. He started slowly unwrapping the long blue scarf that was twisted around his neck. His hands were shaking just the slightest bit. “Having second thoughts?” he asked. Maybe it was meant to be light-hearted, a joke, but Hakyeon heard the tremor in his voice and reached out, laying a hand over Taekwoon’s.

“Not a chance,” he said, both joking and not, his smile lopsided. “You’re stuck with me now. It’s gonna take, like, industrial-strength glue remover to tear us apart at this point.”

“Glue remover?” Taekwoon laughed, just a soft little puff of air through his nose. But he turned his hand over and tangled his fingers with Hakyeon’s, so Hakyeon was going to call that a win. “Guess I’ll just have to get used to how warm you are all the time.”

Hakyeon hummed sympathetically. “I know it’ll be a trial, but we all have to make sacrifices for the sake of our relationships.”

Taekwoon’s fingers tapped out a staccato rhythm on the bony jut of Hakyeon’s wrist. “I’ll be sure to remember that the first time the dishes go unwashed for a week,” he teased.

Hakyeon chuckled and grinned at him unrepentantly. He well knew his own habits when it came to household chores, but he had it on good authority that Taekwoon was just as bad. Living together would either work out perfectly or be a perfect disaster. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, forcing himself to sober because he needed Taekwoon to know that he was serious. “Having your boyfriend and your boyfriend’s mother both move in with you as soon as you’ve bought a new place, it’s...a lot. I’d understand if you wanted to wait a while longer.”

Taekwoon’s long fingers curled firmly around his wrist. “Hey,” he said, meeting Hakyeon’s eyes. “I want you there. I’m moving here  _ to be with you.  _ And your mother deserves to have a home waiting for her as soon as she’s released from long-term care.”

“Yeah, but–” At the sharp rap of a finger against his arm, Hakyeon cut himself off and started again. “I’m worried. You didn’t just ask us to move in with you, you offered to take Mom to and from physio while I’m at work, and to help her out at home. We could get her a nurse, I can afford–”

“I don’t mind helping, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon cut in. “And by the time she gets sent home, your mom will be able to handle most tasks by herself. I’ll just be there to make sure that she doesn’t fall and get hurt.” He ducked his head a little, his cheeks starting to regain the pink that they’d finally lost after coming in from the cold. “And it’ll be more than worth it, to have you in my bed every night.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon breathed, feeling a little flushed himself. His gaze wandered slightly to the right, and he said weakly, “Okay.”

Taekwoon nodded like everything had been settled – and maybe it had – and went back to his coffee. Hakyeon stared at the wall for a bit longer, torn between thinking about what  _ having you in my bed every night _ would entail and forcing the thoughts away because this was very much  _ not the place. _

“Do you like it?” Taekwoon asked.

Hakyeon blinked and refocused on Taekwoon. “What?”

“That painting,” Taekwoon said, his head jerking in the direction that Hakyeon had just been staring.

He realized belatedly that there was an art piece hanging on the worn, red brick wall, one of the many that decorated the small space. They were all things done by local artists. This one was a vibrant splash of blues and purples and pinks and oranges, a pair of wings on two separate canvases, two halves of a whole.

“It’s pretty,” he said, sort of noncommittal. He hadn’t actually noticed it until just then, but it certainly seemed to brighten up the room. It was kind of poetic, to be honest, kind of symbolic of the soulmate bond. Each wing was beautiful on its own, but together they could fly.

Taekwoon nodded, chewing thoughtfully.

Hakyeon glanced down and realized that while he’d been distracted, Taekwoon had managed to pilfer almost his entire scone.

He pushed the remains of his snack across the table to Taekwoon and said, “You’re buying me another one.”

Taekwoon offered him a shit-eating grin and dropped a crummy kiss on his forehead as he got up.

He came back with two more, and Hakyeon couldn’t even be mad.

\---

Taekwoon held the door for him as they stepped outside into the biting air. Hakyeon finished tugging his gloves on and then situated himself close enough to Taekwoon’s side that it was only natural for their fingers to lace together as they started walking.

“Where should we go first?” Hakyeon asked. His gaze scanned the tinsel-strewn shop windows as they passed, admiring the holiday displays and the wintery offerings. The old luxury clothing store across the way featured fake-snow-strewn mannequins in tasteful Christmas sweaters and dashing tuxedos. Farther down, the chocolaterie window was filled with cute coffee mugs and packages of fancy hot cocoa blends.

Taekwoon shrugged, smiling softly at Hakyeon. “I don’t know, a random store,” he said.

Hakyeon poked him in the side, huffing. “You mean  _ Random Goods, _ you absolute heathen?”

In response, Taekwoon just shrugged again, but he led them confidently down the street and into a little alcove with two shop doors. The one on the right led into a store that sold all kinds of magic tricks. They walked through the left and were deposited amidst a veritable  _ ocean _ of things. Retro and vintage clothing, dishes, shoes, accessories, and way more. It was a consignment store, and there was something new there every time they came in. Taekwoon loved it.

Hakyeon went straight to the rack of bad Christmas sweaters just inside the door and held one up. It was bright red and green stripes, and the front was decorated with a fuzzy snowman. “I’m buying this,” he said immediately, smirking.

Taekwoon got a glint in his eye, a familiar one that implied that Hakyeon had just issued a challenge of some sort. He said, “Are you sure about that?” and then disappeared into the racks.

Hakyeon spent some time perusing the other wares, convincing himself that he  _ did not  _ need a silver tea service, even if it was a full set and in near-perfect condition. He did seriously consider an embroidered tablecloth and a set of delicate crystal wine glasses, and decided he’d have to get Taekwoon’s opinion on both whenever he reappeared.

It didn’t take long. He emerged from the forest of clothing with a triumphant look on his face and a  _ truly awful _ sweater held up to his body.

“Is that–” Hakyeon started, and then paused and swallowed and started again, “How does it have cats, snowmen,  _ and  _ reindeer on it? And how is it  _ so many colors?” _

Smirking, Taekwoon declared, “I’m buying it.”

“Your funeral, man,” Hakyeon said, feeling as though he was being magnanimous.

Taekwoon took the sweater off the hanger and pulled it on, apparently just to prove that he could. In spite of his size, somehow he was swimming in it, the fabric flapping around his waist and the sleeves nearly to the tips of his fingers.

“What is that, a sweater for a giant?” Hakyeon asked. He had to admit that as ugly as the sweater was, Taekwoon somehow looked good in it anyway. Or maybe Hakyeon was just severely biased.

“I like it.” Taekwoon pulled the sleeves the rest of the way over his hands and crossed his arms petulantly. He was so damn cute it hurt Hakyeon’s heart.

Hakyeon sighed, nodded morosely to himself, and said, “Okay. If you like it, then you should buy it.” And then he added, “But remind me never to challenge you to an ugly sweater contest ever again.”

Smirking, Taekwoon replied, “You’ll lose. Every time.”

“Noted. Now come help me pick out a damn tablecloth.”

Laughing (and still wearing the damn sweater), Taekwoon came.

\---

“Oh god, please tell me you’re clothed under that blanket,” Hongbin moaned, putting a hand over his eyes and standing in the open doorway.

Hakyeon snorted unattractively. “We’re not Jaehwan and Sanghyuk,” he said. “We’re just watching Netflix.” Well, mostly they were watching Netflix. Hakyeon had been falling asleep on Taekwoon’s shoulder until Hongbin walked in.

“Netflix and chill is a  _ thing,  _ Hakyeon,” Hongbin said, but he put his hand down and closed the door.

“Yeah, and if we were gonna do  _ that,  _ we’d be in my room,” Hakyeon retorted. He felt slightly grumpy having his quiet time with Taekwoon interrupted this way. Granted, it was his own fault for suggesting they watch on the couch instead of in his bedroom, but the TV was so much bigger than his laptop screen.

Hongbin just shook his head and wandered into the kitchen briefly, and then back towards his room. “If you decide to do  _ that, _ please text me to put on headphones beforehand.”

“You got it!” Hakyeon yelled after him. As soon as he was gone, Hakyeon cuddled closer to Taekwoon’s side and clutched his mug of hot chocolate to his chest.

“You’re warm,” Taekwoon mumbled, sounding sleepy. The Great British Bake-Off kept playing in the background. Someone’s cake had fallen apart and they were convinced it meant they were going to be sent home.

Hakyeon took a sip of lukewarm cocoa and acquired a mushy, half-melted marshmallow. He let the sugary goodness linger on his tongue a moment before he responded. “You promised you’d get used to it.”

Taekwoon nuzzled his hair and murmured, “S’nice.”

Feeling warm inside, Hakyeon curled closer yet and laid his head on Taekwoon’s chest. He was starting to get used to this level of contentment, to the idea that he could  _ have _ all of this without terrible, terrible things happening. Once they were living together, he was pretty sure that he would never be able to go back to the way things were before. Which was just fine with him – he didn’t want anything but this.

They sat together without speaking for a while, letting the TV fill the silence so they didn’t have to. 

Hakyeon finished his cocoa and was starting to drift towards sleep again when Taekwoon asked, “Are we going to see your mom tomorrow?”

“What? Yeah, I was planning to go. You can come if you want.”

“I’d love to,” Taekwoon said at once. His long fingers sifted through Hakyeon’s hair, slow and soothing. “Your mom is great.”

Hakyeon let out a contented sigh and mumbled, “God, you’re perfect for me, aren’t you?”

“Only because you’re perfect for me,” Taekwoon retorted, and dropped a kiss on Hakyeon’s head.

“I love you,” Hakyeon said. It felt like he’d never meant any words so much as he meant those every time he said them. And really it wouldn’t have mattered even if their relationship took a lot more work than it did. No matter what, he knew it would be worth it. Taekwoon would always be worth it.

Taekwoon hummed softly and sunk a little further into the couch cushions. “Love you too,” he mumbled, only half understandable. It didn’t matter anyway; Hakyeon would always understand him.

They drifted to sleep together on Hakyeon’s ratty couch, the room lit only by the glow of the TV rolling into another episode of GBBO, and it was all that Hakyeon could have asked for and more. He was warm and content and with his soulmate, who was the light of his life and his pillar of strength and all the rest of those incredibly cliché things from the Hallmark channel.

He could have this, and he had never been so grateful.

\---

They had roughly three pieces of furniture for the entire house when they moved in on Monday. The contents of Taekwoon’s LA apartment wouldn’t arrive for another week, and Hakyeon had owned a laughably small number of things when they met.

So they had a twin-sized mattress on the floor in the bedroom, a single end table that Hakyeon had bought at Walmart with his employee discount, and a weird bench that Taekwoon had found at the thrift store and had fallen in love with for reasons still unknown to Hakyeon.

And a single suitcase of Taekwoon’s clothes, and about three garbage bags full of random shit from Hakyeon’s apartment. At least they had most of a set of dishes. And some towels, which would served them well. The rest of it they could figure out as they went.

Hakyeon was just glad that his mother wasn’t set to be released for another couple of weeks, at least. The house was very much not ready for her.

“We’ll get some stools,” Taekwoon was saying, very seriously, standing beside the kitchen island and surveying the spread of dishes Hakyeon had set there as he unpacked things. He was supposed to be finding places for them in the cupboards, but had apparently gotten distracted.

“Stools,” Hakyeon repeated, setting a cast-iron skillet down on the counter next to the precarious stack of thrift-store mugs. He had about three pans to his name, but he’d been very proud of his find when he spotted that one half-rusted in the bottom of a pile at Random Goods and had re-seasoned it himself.

“Yeah,” Taekwoon said, picking up a mug that declared  _ ‘Cause I’m nacho friend anymore,’ _ and featured an angry tortilla chip. He just stared at it and didn’t put it away. “Like bar-stools. For the–” he waved at the island.

“Right,” Hakyeon said, and put his hands on his hips because there was no point in trying to unpack anything more unless Taekwoon did his job – the counter was completely full. “Why?”

Taekwoon shrugged and set the coffee cup back down on the pile instead of putting it away. “My dining set is coming next week. In the meantime we could eat at the–” he waved at the kitchen island again. Hakyeon thought about telling him what it was called, but didn’t.

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “Can we please buy them from anywhere but Walmart, though?”

It made Taekwoon laugh. Maybe because they hadn’t stepped into a Walmart together the entire time they’d been dating. “We’ll go to Target,” he promised. “I like them better anyway. They don’t believe in segregating children’s clothes arbitrarily into  _ pink _ and  _ blue  _ and then labeling them with genders.”

“A wise choice,” Hakyeon said, and reached out to pat his shoulder. Then he pointed at the cupboard just behind Taekwoon’s head. “There are hooks on the bottom of that one. For mugs.”

Taekwoon turned and stared for longer than was probably warranted. Finally, he picked up the nacho mug and hung it on one of the hooks.

“Good job,” Hakyeon said, grinning at him. “Now do the rest.”

Taekwoon nodded and got to work, apparently glad not to have to think about where things were supposed to go, and Hakyeon started putting other dishes away in the meantime.

They were nearly done when the doorbell rang.

“Were you expecting someone?” Hakyeon asked, straightening up out of the low cupboard where he’d been shoving his solitary cookie sheet. Their huge, picture-perfect kitchen was still embarrassingly bare, and he was seriously regretting that he hadn’t just bought that silver tea service when he had the chance.

Taekwoon shook his head and set down the chipped plate he’d been carefully examining. “I’ll get it,” he said, and shuffled out of the room.

Hakyeon followed him because he had nothing better to do, and got to the front hall just in time for an unfamiliar man to carry in a large, paper-wrapped package and set it down against the weird bench near the door.

“What’s that, babe?” he asked, curling an arm around Taekwoon’s waist from behind.

Taekwoon twisted around to get his own arm around Hakyeon’s shoulders and gave him a kiss for good measure. “Early Christmas present,” he said. His grin was wide enough to show teeth, and he glanced up as the man came back through the door with a second paper-wrapped package that was suspiciously large and flat.

“You didn’t,” Hakyeon said.

Taekwoon squeezed his shoulders and then gestured at the packages. “Open them.”

Hakyeon faltered and then scooted over, and picked at the tape holding the heavy brown paper in place for a long moment before he convinced himself to remove it. Behind him he could hear Taekwoon thanking the delivery man, but he didn’t have the attention for anything but the gift right then.

A tear of the paper and he saw pale blue, and then a bit further and there was gold and pink and orange and vibrant purple. A wing.

He turned his gaze to Taekwoon, who was still smiling at him, so damn pleased with himself for having bought Hakyeon a painting that he hadn’t even realized he wanted until it was there in their new house, where they were going to live together with their three pieces of furniture and their scarce, beaten-up, thrift-store dishes.

Hakyeon examined the wall in front of him, directly across from the front door, with the weird bench sitting against it, and he said, “We should hang them right here.”

Taekwoon came up behind him, wrapped both arms around his waist, and pressed a lingering kiss to Hakyeon’s neck. “That sounds perfect,” he murmured.

Two vibrantly colorful wings hanging right where everyone would see them as they entered their home. A reminder of who they were, and who they could be together. Two halves of a whole – perfect on their own, but even more perfect together.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/PhantomFlutist) Sometimes I share things about fic I'm working on or other fun stuff. Also my tip jar is there.


End file.
